319 replies to this topic

[cakeboy]

Yep, best tour ever I think and I would still think that had Andy S beaten Cadel.

With 3 weeks of the toughest riding on earth the best rider always win the tour. You can't say someone had a lucky day...

[Colin]

Before the rest of my response, well done Cadel..."what took you so long"?

I followed Cadel in the late 90's and based on his MTB achievements, tickets to the OG MTB were high up on my list as I thought it was a "sure gold"- alas he came 3rd but we had a great day. When he targeted TdF I so wanted him to stop the 'Prance' Armstrong charade, but he kept breaking collar bones etc. I got tickets to his 'enough rope' interview and went along to see the guy in person, instead we got a satellite interview of the driest kind. Thanks to "Kenny" for actually being there for his interview, and ensuring an hilarious day.

...Finally...phew.

AJS, on 24 July 2011 - 09:11 PM, said:

But what about our sport? Afterall this is what this site is all about.  All this cycling throughout the year is on free to air SBS - there is a wealth of it from the Classics to minor tours to Australian races.  Yet nothing about running.  The World Championships are next month and we have had no lead up - it will be hard to name a handfull of athletes, yet I bet a lot of people can name a heap of top cyclists.  So what is the IAAF doing? What is Athletics Australia doing?

Quite simply, athletics is a bigger sport with more universal participation and less chance of Australia ever being dominant. Who wants to see Aussies bumped out in the heats by unknown Africans?
So if you are AIS then you put more towards the sports with 'smaller ponds' such as cycling, swimming, tennis etc and because Aussies can become household names there then TV will follow.

That's the reality. Despite all the chest beating, professional cycling is a 'small' world sport, and TdF is but a singular event in that, out of reach for 90% of the world. Even my old country, South Africa, where weekend warrior cyclists are greater in number than Australia, where there is a fun ride every week nearly- inc the biggest one in the world with 35,000 cyclists- find it hard to get riders into the TdF. The amount of money required to field teams and to get guys to the European circuit is too big, given other spending options. The withdrawal of BarloWorld has seen the diappearance of promising riders such as John Lee Augustyn and veteran Robbie Hunter.

This achievement may rank as one of Australia's biggest- relative to other achievements obtained in similar western, 'small pond' sporting events- but it is not 'big' in the world context.

Now let Ryan Gregson take out the OG 1,500m and then we are talking.

[chilliman]

Back to the serious stuff......

(don't think these are the final placings ?).

[Long Arms]

great effort by Cadel in winning the top cycling premier cycling race on the planet. He will go down in Aussie history as a legend. He is as tough as they come and a great endurance machine.

It will be interesting to see if the world economy ever strengthens enough to allow the sport of cycling to ever become global and "world champions" ever become real world champions. Every Tom, Dick and Harry on planet earth can't exactly afford the $20000+ bikes needed to be competitive in cycling.

Still, Cadel has done as much as can be achieved in cycling and I take my hat off to him.

[halfwaydown]

chilliman, on 25 July 2011 - 03:23 PM, said:

Back to the serious stuff......

(don't think these are the final placings ?).

Clearly I know nothing about fantasy cycling....

halfwaydown, on 30 June 2011 - 09:23 PM, said:

As to winning? - Might be Cadel's year though depends on his support on the hills.

But at least I got one thing right   and wrong - he had no support when it should have mattered - but it didn't matter

[langswm]

Colin, on 25 July 2011 - 12:57 PM, said:

Even my old country, ..... find it hard to get riders into the TdF.

Thats because you blokes have no ticker, Colin

What would you consider to be SA's greatest individual sporting achievement? Just curious...

[Colin]

langswm, on 26 July 2011 - 08:05 AM, said:

Thats because you blokes have no ticker, Colin

Especially those choking cricketers.

langswm, on 26 July 2011 - 08:05 AM, said:

What would you consider to be SA's greatest individual sporting achievement? Just curious...

Individual on world stage? Would be hard to go past Josiah Thugwane 1996 OG Marathon champ.

[halfwaydown]

langswm, on 26 July 2011 - 08:05 AM, said:

Thats because you blokes have no ticker, Colin

What would you consider to be SA's greatest individual sporting achievement? Just curious...

Beating the British Lions at Ellis Park in 1997   - thus avoiding a whitewash.

[cakeboy]

thanks to the guys who organised the comp by the way...and well done to Miners for well and truly cleaning us all up

cheers dave

[TropicThunder]

Great Comp - thought i would of had the wood on the Green Edge Dreamer....but thanks for organising, Was great to see your tour team do well after all your weekend footy tips turned to custard.

Just logged on to the game site and my final stage points haven't yet updated???? - not that it really matters, though i did have a good last week

Like the champ Cadel, be back next year

Sorry but i have to say it - can't Cadel just loosen up a fraction, he's one seriously awkward dude.

[superflake]

Rank   Team   Pts.
Last Updated: 27/07/2011 13:15:07
78  Black is my jersey Andrew Lister  1978
350  Andy keep the chain on george el-hage  1826
659  Three toes James Bradley  1733
852  Green Edge Dreaming Chris Yates  1693
1092  CRanky Crankers Simon Hanlin  1651
1457  Hot Jolokias chilli man  1600
1970  Speed Wobbles Wobbly Man  1542
2101  Cakeboy's cupcakes Dave Cakeboy  1530
2511  The Nike NInja Simon McFarlane  1490
2575  Holy Drug Cheats Batman Dean Harris  1485
2858  Highly Tuned Athletes Rob Grinter  1463
2996  Champs-Élysées Thunder Champs-Élysées Thunder  1451
3122  Flakes French Follies Paul Bruning  1440
6145  Team LogicDump Tim Horsburgh  1232
7522  Dopledanger Michael McGrath  1127

I should have known Tropic to sneak past me on the Champ in Paris.
Congrats to Miners. Next year he races with a 3 wheeler. That should fix him.

[chilliman]

Congrats everyone, was fun as usual, another 3 weeks of mountains and I may have caught you miners,
Thanks for organising Wobbly, see you all next year.

Btw, Cakey and Rob, you owe me a beer.

[Kingofthehill]

As hard as it is to believe, Cadel's performance over the 3 weeks, almost made the fantasy competition irrelevant.

Thanks for the updates superflake and chilli, and for organising it all Wobbly.

Miners I'm almost certain you led from the first stage. Congratulations on a comprehensive and indisputable victory.

[Simlin]

Just call him Lance. Gets the Jersey on the first stage and then his team just controls the race from there.

[Rock Doctor]

Well done Miners. Didnt mangage to challenge you this year. I did however manage to come 3rd in the tipping comp at one of the bike shops that I frequent and I even won a prize pack valued at $70.

[miners]

cheers guys - had a lucky year, including a really flukey spin in the velogames comp with a 3rd placing by stage 10 with about 12,000 participants (quickly dropping well out of contention soon thereafter).

I'll bring my US postal boys along for the Vuelta if anyone's keen?

What a week for aussie sport hey?  Our local buy smashed them up in the pool last night too.  Us triathletes figure that now that Cadel and Magnussen have covered the first 2 legs of world domination, it's about time for a runner to step up to the plate.

With no immediate world titles in danger, how about we call on Burglar to nab that sub-3 to finish the trifecta?

[halfwaydown]

TropicThunder, on 27 July 2011 - 09:40 PM, said:

Sorry but i have to say it - can't Cadel just loosen up a fraction, he's one seriously awkward dude.

To quote the Guardian in uk in an otherwise very supportive piece - "He sometimes gives the misleading impression of being inarticulate in three languages,".
Can't help but have wanted him to win this year though - he has struggled with luck and lack of team support to deny him in the past - and what a time trail! - so thoroughly, thoroughly deserved.

Thanks for organising the team comp. This year I had both the overall winner and the green jersey winner in my team yet still came last.   Next year I might have to read the points system first before I make such obviously niave selections.

[pipi]

Colin, on 25 July 2011 - 12:57 PM, said:

Quite simply, athletics is a bigger sport with more universal participation and less chance of Australia ever being dominant. Who wants to see Aussies bumped out in the heats by unknown Africans?
So if you are AIS then you put more towards the sports with 'smaller ponds' such as cycling, swimming, tennis etc and because Aussies can become household names there then TV will follow.

That's the reality. Despite all the chest beating, professional cycling is a 'small' world sport, and TdF is but a singular event in that, out of reach for 90% of the world. Even my old country, South Africa, where weekend warrior cyclists are greater in number than Australia, where there is a fun ride every week nearly- inc the biggest one in the world with 35,000 cyclists- find it hard to get riders into the TdF. The amount of money required to field teams and to get guys to the European circuit is too big, given other spending options. The withdrawal of BarloWorld has seen the diappearance of promising riders such as John Lee Augustyn and veteran Robbie Hunter.

Look - I know I am stepping into things I know little about.  BUT  The TdF is a team sport held as a stage race in some spectacular scenery.  It a gem of a spectator sport.  For the novice it has dramatic sprint finishes and another great helicopter shot of a nice spot every day.  For the advanced it is a deep puzzle of tactics and personalities.  Each race takes a few hours, not too long or too short.  In summary it is almost perfect for television and arm chaired athletes.  In comparison, athletics is bigger, but not as compelling to watch - yes I know we have swimming on our TV and that is because Australians do well in it.  I think the appeal of the TdF is so strong that we would still have it on our TV's without a Cadel or similar.

[Hamburglar]

Enjoyed the tour so much this year and got to watch more than I ever have. Mrs Hamburglar even stayed up for half a dozn stages and is really getting into it although I think this is just to perve on Cav et al.

Enjoyed the fantasy comp as well. After a few BIG mistakes early on, I got the hang of it - can't wait to have a better shot at Miners' yellow jersey next year.

With the $Aus on the rise, I reckon we could all head over to France next July for a 3 week holiday for about $200!!!!

[wobbly man]

Hamburglar, on 29 July 2011 - 01:05 PM, said:

Enjoyed the tour so much this year and got to watch more than I ever have. Mrs Hamburglar even stayed up for half a dozn stages and is really getting into it although I think this is just to perve on Cav et al.

Enjoyed the fantasy comp as well. After a few BIG mistakes early on, I got the hang of it - can't wait to have a better shot at Miners' yellow jersey next year.

With the $Aus on the rise, I reckon we could all head over to France next July for a 3 week holiday for about $200!!!!

I know there are some here that have been already. Would be nice to have an idea of costs. Anyone?